When I was growing up (or as Ben Ben says, “coming along”), some of my fondest memories, not to mention tastiest, were of my grandmothers and aunts sitting around an outdoor table in the summer time shelling beans.  In Italy, fagioli are the beans, such as borlotti (cranberry beans) and cannellini.  In America, some common legumes include lentils, peas, soybeans, chick peas, lima beans, broad beans (also know as fava beans), common beans, and of course, the so-called black-eyed pea which is not really a pea, but a relative of the mung bean and other Asian legumes.

The common bean and lima bean are both species in the Central American genus Phaseolus. The most important species, Phaseolus vulgaris, or the common bean, has been developed into literally hundreds of varieties, including the navy, field, kidney, pinto, borlotti, cannellini and black beans.  There are as many as 25 different varieties for sale in some markets in North, Central and South America today.  The ancestral plant was a native of southwestern Mexico.  It first came under cultivation about 7,000 years ago, and spread north and south reaching major continents about 2,000 years ago.  Both species were exported to Europe by Spanish explorers, however, the lima bean was introduced to Africa via the slave trade, and is now the main legume of that continent’s tropics.

It is believed that with the cultivation and spread of legumes in tenth century Europe, the whole of that continent was profoundly effected.   As a result of having available an affordable source of protein, people became more robust, lived longer, and created more children.

The structure and composition of legumes are all very similar and contain the embryo, hilum, cotyledon and seed coat.  Most of the volume is taken up by the cotyledon where the energy and protein necessary to get the seedling established is stored.  The embryo consists of a root, stem and the first pair of true leaves.  The whole structure is contained by the seed coat, a thin protective layer that is interrupted only at the himu, a small bump where the seed has been attached to the pod, and where it will absorb water once it is in the ground.

We love borlotti (cranberry beans).  They are sometimes referred to as shell beans in New England.  They have pale red streaked pods that yield white beans blotched with the same red color.  They have a creamy, almost chestnut like nut flavor that lends itself quite nicely as a side dish or main course.  Freshly shelled, we cook them in enough water to cover (about double the volume of the beans), add a half of a head of unpeeled fresh garlic, some chopped celery stalk, fresh sage and a few tablespoons of olive oil.  We put a lid on them, bring to a boil, skim the foam from the top and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.  After they cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, there awaits a myriad of possibilities for serving.  Recently, we tossed them with ditalini (short cut pasta), chopped cooked pancetta, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  A satisfying protein packed meal.

The nutritional data available on barlotti beans is shocking.  There are more than 45 vitamins, minerals and/or proteins in a bean.  That includes, but is not limited to, Arginine, Ash, Calcium, Copper, Cystine, Fiber, Folate, Glycine, Histidine, Iron, Leucine, Lysine, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium Protein, Riboflavin, Selenium, Serine, Thiamin, Tryptophan, Tyrosine, Valine, Vitamins A & B, Water and Zinc.  And, they contain all the essential and non-essential amino acids.  An amazing little power house.

At Cindy Lutini’s we use beans and peas in a variety of ways.  Our most popular take-out item during the summer months is Edamame Salad.  We combine fresh lady peas, black-eyed peas, borlotti, edamame (soy beans), chick peas, fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, spring Vadilia onions, and a little garlic, extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.  It is a delicious side dish or a nutritious and colorful base for a piece of grilled chicken or fish.  We also sell a healthy Grilled Fresh Ahi Tuna and Cannelloni Bean Salad packed with lots of fresh herbs and rigatoni.  In Cantinette Lutini we serve both borlotti and cannelloni beans as part of an antipasto tray along side a mix of cheeses, olives, sausages and grilled and marinated zucchini and eggplant.  Other times we puree them with a little more garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and spread on ciabatta for bruschetta.

So, for your health, have some beans!

— Cindy Shultz is the owner and chef at Cindy Lutini’s Pasta for Life. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. from John Carroll University.